Evening commuters on the St. Croix River bridge were suddenly brought to a standstill Thursday when two separate 911 calls triggered a full-scale response from both Minnesota and Wisconsin. Traffic backed up in both directions as divers and crisis negotiators worked different sides of the river. One man was pulled from the water and pronounced dead, and another person was taken into care and transported to a hospital. The twin emergencies briefly shut down all eastbound and westbound lanes, sending drivers scrambling for alternate routes.
According to the Pioneer Press, the first 911 call came in around 3:50 p.m., when a passing motorist reported a person on the Minnesota side of the bridge. Deputies say the man jumped and was later found dead in the river. Authorities identified him as a 65-year-old Birchwood Village resident and said his vehicle was still parked in the eastbound lane when crews arrived.
While divers were in the water working to recover the first man, a witness reported a second incident at about 4:35 p.m. Crisis negotiators made contact with a man sitting on the westbound railing, and Lakeview EMS later transported him to Regions Hospital.
Response and Road Impact
Washington County deputies, Wisconsin sheriff’s units and several municipal police and fire departments responded, with river teams and negotiators staging on both banks. For a stretch of the late afternoon, both directions of travel were shut down, causing heavy rush-hour delays and forcing drivers to detour around the bridge…